Side-Quest: Getting Crysis to Run on PC (64-bit)

Despite having poured thousands of hours into my favorite games, I somehow missed out on Crysis (the first one). So, when it was on sale on Steam over Christmas, I picked it up.

Then I tried installing it. Dun dun dun... CRASH! Repeatedly. Turns out this is a common problem.

There are lots of problems getting the game to even launch. Then there are problems using the 64-bit executable. Now I have no trouble executing some complicated "back up x file, then change setting y" type of stuff, but there's some consumer outrage whenever I have to do that. I paid for a working product. It darn well better work. If it doesn't, the question becomes whether I want to go through the trouble. For Crysis, there are some simple steps to follow that result in a working game without having to modify any game files.

You will need an Origin account.

1. Purchase Crysis on Steam or on disc (if you purchase on Origin, go to step 3). The game has been steeply discounted during major holidays, so wait until for a sale if possible.

2. Activate the game's license key with EA, so that it will appear in your Origin library. The tricky part here is that if you try to activate Crysis using the Origin software, you could get an "Invalid Key" error. To activate it, you have to enter the key on EA's support website. Activating here will successfully add Crysis to your Origin library.

3. Download and install Crysis from Origin.

4. You might think you're done, but the minute you try to launch the game, it will crash once again. You might think that the game is simply broken, but that is not the case.

5. Navigate to the folder Crysis is installed to (in my case, F: > Games > Crysis

6. I want to run Crysis using the 64-bit executable, so go into the Bin64 folder.

7. Double-click Crysis.exe to launch the game.

(This solution only works on computers with 64-bit operating systems.)

The game should launch. Exactly why the game launches directly from the executable and not from Origin is a mystery to me.

If you use this method for Steam (install Crysis via Steam, go into the Steam Crysis folder and launch using the executable), the game will still crash. A bait-and-switch move to get more people to use Origin? Who knows. The Origin version of Crysis does use a patched version of EA's infamous Securom DRM; it now uses your Origin credentials to verify ownership. So you DO need to be logged in to Origin to run the game.

Crysis runs smooth and solid now, and still looks amazing for an older title.Unfortunately the multiplayer component is off-line, but hey: what price nostalgia (or, in my case, discovery)?

Quest Completed.

Bonus: EA's support site activation service will also work with Crysis 2 and Crysis Warhead.